Ignition interruptor for internal combustion engines



1964 J. KREISSIG ETAL 3,146,321

IGNITION INTERRUPTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 18, 1961 /05 /4 \MVI United States Patent 3,146,321 IGNITION INTERRUPTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUFaTEON ENGENES Johannes Kreissig, Stuttgart-Botnang, and Max Lenz,

Stuttgart-Bail Cannstatt, Germany, assignors to Robert Bosch G.m.h.H., Stuttgart, Germany Filed July 18, 1961, Ser. No. 125,009 Claims priority, application Germany July 22, 1960 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-19) The present invention relates to ignition systems of internal combustion engines, and more particularly to aconductor element which connects the movable contact on the breaker arm of the ignition interruptor in the primary circuit of the ignition coil. The invention also relates to an ignition interrupter which embodies the conductor element.

In known ignition systems of which We are aware at this time, the breaker spring is connected with the breaker arm and with a terminal on the housing of the ignition distributor or with an intermediate conductor in the form of a bracket or the like, and the latter is then connected with the housing terminal and through a cable with the primary terminal of the ignition coil. It is also known to provide a cable whose terminals are separably connected with the housing terminal or directly with the primary terminal of the ignition coil and with one end of the breaker spring. Such constructions consists of too many parts and are rather costly to produce. In addition, the connection between the cable or the bracket on the one hand and the constantly moving breaker spring on the other hand is likely to become loose which produces noise and may interrupt the flow of primary current to the contact on the breaker arm.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a greatly simplified, inexpensive and highly reliable connection between the primary terminal of the ignition coil and the movable contact on the breaker arm of an ignition interruptor.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved connection between the breaker spring and the primary terminal of the ignition coil.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a noiseless connection of the above outlined characteristics.

An additional object of the invention is to rovide an improved connection between the breaker spring and the contact support in the ignition interruptor of an internal combustion engine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an ignition interrupter in which the improved connection between the breaker arm and the primary terminal of the ignition coil is mounted in a novel way.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensive insulator for connecting the breaker spring to the contact support on the breaker plate of an ignition interruptor in such a way that the spring permanently biases the movable contact of the breaker arm into abutment with the stationary breaker contact of the ignition interrupter.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in the provision of a conductor element for electrically connecting the breaker arm (and more particularly the contact on the breaker arm) of an ignition interruptor in the primary circuit of the ignition coil in an internal combustion engine. This element comprises essentially a connecting cable one end of which is adapted to be connected in the primary circuit of the ignition coil e.g. with a terminal on the housing of the ignition distributor which is electrically connected with the primary terminal of the ignition interruptor as is well known to persons skilled in the art, a breaker spring one end of which is connectable with the breaker arm, and a permanent current-conducting connection between the other end of the cable and the other end of the spring. The permanent connection preferably assumes the form of an annulus or rivet which is received in an aperture formed in the breaker spring and which is formed with a peripheral groove into which-a portion (i.e. the suitably looped bare end) of the cable and a portion of the spring extend so as to be in contact with each other. The rivet is thereupon deformed to prevent its separation from the cable or from the spring and is at least partially surrounded by a preferably disk-shaped thermoplastic insulator which latter serves as a means for fixing the improved conductor element to the contact support of the ignition interruptor in such a way that the spring biases the breaker arm in a direction to move its breaker contact into abutment with a stationary breaker contact on the contact support.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction andits method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a conductor element which embodies the invention, a portion of the connecting cable being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the conductor element; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a breaker plate whose contact support and breaker arm are operatively connected with the conductor element.

Referring now in greater detail to the illustrated embodiment, and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a conductor element A which is utilized for connecting the movable contact on the breaker arm of an ignition interrup'tor in the primary circuit of the ignition coil in an internal combustion engine. The element A comprises a breaker spring 10, a connecting cable 11, and a novel permanent current conducting connection therebetween. This connection comprises a hollow annular rivet-shaped connecting member 12 which is received in an aperture 1% provided in one end Iila of the breaker spring 10 and whose peripheral groove receives the circularly deformed or looped bare end 11 of the cable 11 so that the bare end contacts the wall portion bounding the aperture 10b. The annular connecting member 12 is at least partially surrounded by a substantially disk-shaped insulator' 13 which consists of a suitable thermoplastic material and which is preferably injection molded about the member 12. The insulator 13 has a preferably cylindrical extension 14 which serves as a means for suspending the element A on a bracket member 15" forming part of a contact support 15, the latter fixed to the breaker plate 25 in a manner as shown in FIG. 3. Prior to the formation of the insulator 13, the connecting member 12 is suitably deformed to provide a permanent current-conducting connection between the bare end 11 of the cable 11 and the adjacent end 11111 of the breaker spring 10.

FIG. 3 shows the manner in which the conductor element A is mounted on the breaker plate 25. This plate carries the aforementioned contact support 15 which, in turn, carries a pivot member or pin 17 for the enlarged substantially hub-shaped right-hand end of a breaker arm 18. The pin 17 extends in a direction away from the plate 25. The other end of the arm 18 carries a breaker contact 19 which is movable into abutment with and away from a stationary breaker contact 16 provided on an upturned ear or bracket member 15' of the contact support 15 which is formed by bending a portion of the contact support substantially at right angles to and in a direction away from the breaker plate 25. An intermediate portion of the breaker arm 18 is connected to the free second end c of the breaker spring 10 by a rivet 18a and carries a follower 2% which cooperates with the customary cam (not shown) to intermittently pivot the breaker arm 18 in clockwise direction about the pin 17 and to thereby move the contact 19 away from the stationary contact 16 against the bias of the breaker spring 10 which latter tends to maintain the contact 19 in the position of FIG. 3.

The aforementioned upturned ear or bracket member which is also bent in a direction away from the breaker plate forms part of or is connected with the contact support 15 and serves as a means for supporting the insulator 13. As shown, the bracket member 15" is formed with an opening which receives the extension 14 so that the breaker spring 10 is under constant tension in a sense to bias the arm 18 in anticlockwise direction and to thereby move the contact 19 into abutment with the stationary contact 16. The arcuate free end 10c of the spring 1% is led about the hub-shaped right-hand end portion of the arm 18 and is connected with the intermediate portion of this arm by the aforementioned rivet 18a. The end 160 is electrically connected with the contact 19. The free end of the cable 11 is provided with a spade terminal 23 which is connectable in the primary circuit of the ignition coil (not shown) by securing it to the customary terminal on the housing of the ignition distributor, the latter electrically connected with the primary terminal of the ignition coil. It will be noted that the extension 14 of the insulator 13 not only suspends on and secures the element A to the contact support 15 but that the insulator also prevents the flow of-current from the element A to the contact support. The extension 14 projects in a direction away from the breaker arm 18 and away from the connecting member 12.

The conductor element A simplifies the construction of the ignition interruptor and insures that the breaker spring 11) is permanently insulated from the bracket member 15". Furthermore, the deformed and concealed connecting member 12 insures that the cable 11 and the breaker spring 10 remain in permanent current-conducting contact with each other so that the number of points where an interruption in the flow of current from the primary terminal of the ignition coil to the contact 19 could take place is reduced to a minimum. This enables a mechanic to immediately locate the point where the flow of primary (low tension) current is interrupted. Still further, the likelihood of rattling is reduced to a minimum because the member 12 and the insulator 13 form a permanent and noiseless connection between the spring 10 and the cable 11.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this inven tion and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters Patent is:

1. A conductor element for connecting the movable breaker contact on the breaker arm which is pivotally mounted on a contact support of an ignition interruptor in the primary circuit of an ignition coil in an internal combustion engine, comprising a connecting cable having a bare end and a second end, the latter connectable in the primary circuit of the ignition coil; a breaker spring having a first end and a second end, the latter connectable with the breaker arm; an inseparable current-conducting connection between the first end of said spring and the bare end of said cable comprising a substantially rivetshaped current-conducting connecting member fixed to said bare end and to the first end of said spring; and a substantially disk-shaped insulator of thermoplastic material substantially completely enclosing the free end of said cable, the first end of said spring and said connecting member, said insulator having an extension connectable with the contact support of the ignition interruptor whereby the insulator is fixed to the contact support and prevents the how of current from said cable and from said spring to the contact support.

2. In an ignition interruptor for internal combustion engines, in combination, a breaker plate; a contact support fixed to said breaker plate, said support comprising a first and a second bracket member each extending in a direction away from said breaker plate and said second bracket member having an opening; a stationary breaker contact on said first bracket member; a breaker arm having a first end pivoted to said support and a second end; a second contact at the second end of said arm, said second contact movable into abutment with said stationary contact in response to pivotal movements of said arm; and a conductor element for connecting said second contact in the primary circuit of an ignition coil, said element comprising a connecting cable having a bare end and a second end, the latter connectable in the primary circuit of the ignition coil, a breaker spring having a first end and a second end, means for connecting the second end of said spring with an intermediate portion of said breaker arm, an inseparable current-conducting connection between the first end of said spring and the bare end of said cable, and an insulator substantially completely enclosing said connection together with said bare end and the first end of said spring, said insulator having an extension received in the opening of said second bracket member whereby the insulator is fixed to said contact support so as to tension said spring and the spring biases said arm in a direction to move the second contact into abutment with the stationary contact.

3. In an ignition interruptor for internal combustion engines, in combination, a breaker plate; a contact support fixed to said breaker plate, said support comprising a bracket member extending away from said breaker plate and having an opening; a stationary breaker contact on said support; a breaker arm having a first end pivoted to said support and a second end; a second contact at the second end of said arm, said second contact movable into abutment with said stationary contact in response to pivotal movements of said arm; and a conductor element for connecting said second contact in the primary circuit of an ignition coil, said element comprising a connecting cable having a bare end and a second end, the latter connecta'ole in the primary circuit of the ignition coil, a breaker spring having a first end and a second end, means for connecting the second end of said spring with an intermediate portion of said breaker arm, a hollow rivet shaped member permanently and inseparably connecting the first end of said spring and the bare end of said cable, and a substantially disk-shaped insulator substantially completely enclosing said connecting member together with said bare end and the first end of said spring, said insulator comprising an extension received in the opening of said bracket member whereby the insulator is fixed to said contact support so as to tension said spring whereby the spring biases said arm in a direction to move the second contact into abutment with the stationary contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Phelon Aug. 22, 1950 Filko June 3, 1952 Spang Apr. 14, 1953 McCarty Apr. 9, 1957 Marasco et a1 Feb. 18, 1958 Phelon et a1. Sept. 9, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS France June 15, 1922 

1. A CONDUCTOR ELEMENT FOR CONNECTING THE MOVABLE BREAKER CONTACT ON THE BREAKER ARM WHICH IS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON A CONTACT SUPPORT OF AN IGNITION INTERRUPTOR IN THE PRIMARY CIRCUIT OF AN IGNITION COIL IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, COMPRISING A CONNECTING CABLE HAVING A BARE END AND A SECOND END, THE LATTER CONNECTABLE IN THE PRIMARY CIRCUIT OF THE IGNITION COIL; A BREAKER SPRING HAVING A FIRST END AND A SECOND END, THE LATTER CONNECTABLE WITH THE BREAKER ARM; AN INSEPARABLE CURRENT-CONDUCTING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FIRST END OF SAID SPRING AND THE BARE END OF SAID CABLE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIVETSHAPED CURRENT-CONDUCTING CONNECTING MEMBER FIXED TO 